


Industrial Empire

by SpectralBeauty



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe, Corruption, Dictator, Fascism, Government Experimentation, Other, Rebellion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-09-01 00:00:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20248795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpectralBeauty/pseuds/SpectralBeauty
Summary: “An empire toppled by its enemies will rebuild. An empire that crumbles from within...dies.” In a dystopian future, a fascist government has complete control of the Earth. And the only way to bring it down, is to take it down from the inside.





	1. Chapter 1

It was a normal day. Or as normal as it was in the Industrial Empire, or the “Unequal Empire”, as some citizens called it. People worked and worked, and only had enough to get by. Even if one worked for the Inner Government, they only got slightly more than most. Machinists, Scrappers, even soldiers of the Industrial Army barely made enough to support their families. The only people that had it good were the doctors, the Head Machinist, and the leader, the Matriarch. The god damned Matriarch. There was nothing “equal” about her rule. About a year ago, she promised equality and paradise. Everyone’s still waiting. Oh, you’re probably wondering who I am. Well, let me give you some insight. I’m the only one who can get close to the Matriarch, because I’m the Head Machinist. My name is Dante Volkov. And this is the story of how I brought down an empire.

So now you may be asking “Why would someone like the second-in-command want to topple an empire where he obviously has it good?” Turns out that being involved in the death of thousands of innocent people spoils everything for me. Now don’t get me wrong. I was excited about a chance to work in the Inner Government. But after learning about what happened on the inside, I learned to despise the Matriarch, and whoever is happy to serve her. It’s hard to believe that my closest friend could go so low to the point of just killing someone because she needs to relieve stress. I know how bipolar she really is, but that’s no excuse to murder innocents. Now, I’ve been trying to keep up a front, but it’s getting increasingly harder. The whole reason I’m writing this is so someone can learn my story. Maybe I won’t be such a failure if my story inspires someone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dante will write about the origins of the Industrial Empire, and about the hierarchy.

Now, before I go any further, I want to tell the story about how the Industrial Empire came to be. It all started off as an idea in my friend, Viktoria’s, head. She was already the president of Russia at the time, but she wanted to extend her reach. Her advisors warned against an all-out attack against the world’s government, as it violated all known treaties. But she wouldn’t listen. So she had her best technicians create full-on war machines the stuff of which was thought to be only science fiction. Power suits for soldiers, mechanized tanks that could walk, and an all new kind of fighter plane. They were amazing, and extremely powerful. The armies of the world didn’t stand a chance. They had no choice but to surrender and take up our flag, lest any more casualties be on the hands of the country leaders. Soon, the entire world was ruled under one government. And my friend, my closest friend, was the decided upon ruler. She became the Matriarch, the highest position one can have in the government. She oversees everything. Nothing goes on without her knowing or finding out, and if someone wants to leave or if the district council wants to make a decision, they need her stamp of approval. Since I was the only one she really trusted (and she trusts almost no one), she made me Head Machinist, the second-in-command. The Head Machinist is also the leader of the Machinists, engineers and scientists who make the Empire’s mechs, power suits, and weapons. I make sure they stay in line and that everything is moving along smoothly. The Scrappers are below the Machinists. They take apart the failed or destroyed mechs, look for useful scrap, and recycle it. They may be lower, but they are an important link in the chain. Then there are the soldiers. The lowest rung on the ladder. They do what you expect them to, so there’s no need to explain them. But all in all, my friend’s idea wasn’t too terrible at first. I need to go. If she catches me writing this...well, we have one unspoken rule in the Inner Government. **Never** anger the Matriarch.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dante will discover something that the Matriarch is planning, but he doesn’t have the courage yet to fight back.

She entered my room and I could tell by her stare that she was scrutinizing my face, looking for any sign of suspicion. Her cold stare made me shiver. Those eyes. One eye a deep forest green, and the other...well, her left pupil is deformed to the point where it looks like a cross, and her iris has no color, just white. After scanning my face again, she relaxed, satisfied. “Come with me, Dante”, she said in that thick Russian accent. Despite spending time in hundreds of countries a year, her voice is still heavily accented. She turned out of the room, her short blond hair flipping with her. I followed obediently. We walked down the dark corridor, the red lights only making it more unsettling. “What are the latest reports on our mechs?” “Some soldiers come back fine, but some end up coming with half the armor destroyed. The soldiers report that they leave them alone for a few minutes, but when they return, almost all of the weaponry was stolen and the mechanics were almost destroyed.” That made her stop, and I could see her tense up. “чертовы идиоты”, she swore in Russian. At least she wasn’t swearing in English, which meant she was somewhat calm. She took a deep breath and composed herself. "Well, no matter. Soon, we will have something even stronger than our mechs." "Viktoria-" I clapped my hand over my mouth. I had definitely made a mistake. Viktoria turned around and looked me dead in the eye. "M-Matriarch, what do you mean by that?", I said, sweating. Her face relaxed and a small smile graced her features as she heard her title. She was **very** adamant that we call her by her given title. Even I, her best friend, was given this order. "Our machinists have made a breakthrough regarding bio-technology." We kept walking until we made it to the elevator, an old relic form the past. It looked old compared to the sleek and industrial look of the Hub, the name given to the giant compound in each country capital, built to house the Matriarch, Head Machinist, a large group of Machinists, and a team of soldiers. Usually we stay in a Hub for at least two weeks, sometimes it's a month. We've been in the Moscow Hub for three weeks, and we'll be flying into Kyiv, Ukraine's capital later this night. The elevator made a small "ding" as it started to descend. The light constantly flickered in this one. I need to ask maintenance to take a look at it. After descending at least 30 floors, we arrived at the entrance lobby. The lobby was decorated in a way that resembled the "Roaring 20s" style from America. Viktoria had always loved art deco. The large sliding doors opened and we stepped into the cold snowy air. The Hub was surrounded by at least 15 feet of metal walls that rose high, and guards were patrolling every perimeter. Red armbands sporting a black **+** adorned their left arms, marking them as guards in service to the Industrial Empire. "We're going to the factory. I already have an escort ready." We walked to the large steel gates separating the Hub from the rest of the district. They started to open with a large grinding sound, and beyond the metal, I could see St. Basil's Cathedral,the colorful spires marred by the white snow and grey sky. An armored car was already waiting for us. Viktoria climbed in first, as per usual, and i followed second. Compared to the cold outside, the inside of the vehicle was quite warm,but we still kept our coats on. We drove through the streets of the Residential District, and my heart wept as I saw the people on the sidewalk. They were dressed in such tattered clothes and were shivering violently. I saw a young woman with two children and I felt the strong urge to give them my coat, but doing that will only get them in trouble. So i refrained. The Residential District was where the citizens lived. The major cities of the world changed to accommodate for each district. Residential, Schooling, Business, Market, Government, which is where the Hub is located, Citadel, the large prison compound, and the Factory district, which is where the Machinists live and work. We had to drive through each district to get to the Factory District, which was the most industrial district of the city. The factories were not just for the Machinists. Other workers had jobs, like textiles, meatpacking and food producing, manufacturing, and other jobs. The Machinists only made weapons, robotic technology, and suits for soldiers. Their factory was the largest of all, a giant warehouse made from steel and iron, with three chimneys pouring smoke into the clouded sky. We arrived at the factory and got out of the vehicle. Two guards stood at the entrance at all times, but when they saw us walking towards the door, they immediately saluted. After Viktoria waved her hand impatiently, they put in their codes and the doors opened. The interior of the factory was steamy,so we had to take our coats off. Fluorescent lights illuminated the hallway leading to the workshop, which is where Machinists did the work that machines couldn't. At least 100 tables were set up, and each of the Machinists were working on a specific thing. But that isn't what we were there for. At the end of the workshop was a lift that descended into the bowels of the earth. I never liked the lift. I preferred the metal walls of an elevator rather than the rickety cage suspended above a 15 story drop. As we descended, I stared at the concrete walls of the shaft, thinking of what kind of breakthrough in bio-technology was so important. When the lift made it to the bottom, the iron bars opened, and we stepped into the decontamination chamber. I was blasted with vapor that smelled strongly of sterile alcohol. I had to hold my breath during this. And then we had stepped into the most industrial room in the factory. The "forge" as it was called. Machines whirred and clicked, pistons pounded and steamed, pipes rattled and shook, all blending together in a song of pure machinery. The forge was basically a giant melting pot and manufacturing plant. The weapons were finished upstairs, this is where they were made. Masses of metal were piled onto conveyor belts and all headed toward the giant vat of molten metal. Then small metal containers descended and scooped up the molten steel, where it would be poured into molds and shaped by the Machinists who worked in the forge. Viktoria and I walked across a steel platform with glass on either side, allowing for a perfect view of the forge. There was another section to the forge. That was where the Machinists worked on prosthetics for soldiers who lost their limbs in combat. It was a newer room, but still had a very industrial feel to it. "Come", Viktoria said. She led me to a testing chamber, where a cadaver was lying on a table, cut open with his heart missing. I hated seeing bodies just cut up like that. Those were people with lives and families. A scientist was writing something down on a clipboard, and when he saw us, he immediately saluted. "At ease", I said. He obeyed, still tense. "My Matriarch, we have made significant progress with the artificial organs." I turned to Viktoria. "Artificial organs?" She smiled, but there was no warmth behind it. "Yes. We have taken steps in creating artificial hearts and lungs for our soldiers. Once they are implanted, the soldier will be able to live longer and healthier. Would you mind showing him the heart?" The scientist nodded and opened a container on the table. Inside was a human heart. But it looked so...altered. The major veins were replaced by what looked like plastic tubes, and the heart chambers had attachments that looked like steel, and there were odd attachments on the ends of the plastic veins. I got up closer to he body on the table as the scientist was doing his work. When he placed the heart inside the chest, the attachments on the plastic immediately connected to the veins! It was a perfect fit for the man's chest. Then the scientist brought out a small box-shaped device. When he pressed one of the buttons, the heart began beating, red blood pumping through the tubes. Then, I watched in horror as the man's body began to rise. He was now sitting upright on the table, with his beating heart completely visible. His eyes opened, but he could not see. His head turned towards me, and it took everything in me not to vomit on the clean white floor. Viktoria's face was twisted in a look of pure excitement. "Remarkable!", she said. "Turn it off!", I screamed. The scientist looked shocked, as I barely ever raised my voice at anyone, but I couldn't stand looking at this mockery of life. He pressed a button, the heart stopped, and the man's body fell back onto the table with a thud. I left that room, and walked back across the platform, the pot of molten metal casting an orange glow. I heard fast footsteps behind me, and I saw Viktoria following me, her face now back to its normal emotionless state. "I've never seen you get so worked up over nothing, Dante", she said, her voice condescending. "Nothing? Nothing?! That man was dead! And you revived him against his own will! That wasn't nothing. That was defiling a corpse!" "Its not like I was hurting anyone. I was only testing how the organs worked." I scoffed. She was so apathetic. "It may be hard for you to understand, but I am doing what is necessary. So what if it means cutting open a few cadavers?" I was losing this argument and she knew it. So I kept my mouth shut. She noticed that I backed down and looked satisfied. "Now come. We must prepare for our flight to Kyiv." We had left the factory, headed back to the Hub, and began preparing for the flight. We would be leaving at 8:00 P.M. so I needed to get my personal items together. My diary, a few of my favorite books, and a pocket knife that my sister had given me a long time ago. It still shone red in the light, and the Swiss Army symbol brought me back to a time where we didn't have to worry about having enough to eat. I missed those days. I had finished gathering everything, and met Viktoria in the hangar. The hangar was filled with war planes and fighter jets, and most of them were being worked on by engineers. Viktoria and I would be flying on an aircraft specially designed to be both a transportation unit and a base of operations if needed. The Eagle, a giant, more modern version of an American stealth bomber, bearing the Empire's coat of arms on its side. She was magnificent to look at, and even more magnificent on the inside. But the beauty of the Eagle couldn't mar the fact that I saw a dead man rise today. And I feared for what the plan of action was in Ukraine, and sent a silent prayer to her citizens. After getting settled in, Viktoria and I sat in the cockpit, felt the engines fire up, and soon, we were flying into the endless sky, leaving Russia behind, and the man who was revived. "Да поможет нам Бог", I said in my native language, hoping Viktoria didn't hear me. Praying in public is strictly forbidden, and the consequences are severe. Even I would be punished. Her best friend.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Matriarch and Dante will fly into Ukraine, where Viktoria will have a meeting with the Machinists and scientists about a highly classified project, allowing Dante to have the whole day to himself. During this rare moment of reprieve, Dante will meet someone who is different from everyone else.

The Eagle had stayed in the clouds for a while, but after some time, the city of Kiev rose into view. The Eagle was the fastest ship in the Empire, flying at 250 miles per hour. It was only 11 P.M. when we arrived. I could see Independence Square, St. Sophia's Cathedral, and the golden domes of St. Michael's Monastery. Out of all the converted cities in the Empire, Kiev still retained most of its landmarks. The Ukraine Hub was in the middle of the Government District, a giant tower made of black steel, with a glowing red spire that pierced the sky. All of the Hubs had a structure similar to the Taipei 101 tower, but had a middle section that thinned out like the Space Needle. The aircraft hangar was located somewhere in the middle, and the doors opened to admit the Eagle inside. The landing was always a little bumpy, and I will never get used to the small jolt the aircraft gives when it drops to the ground. After the ship was properly stable, Viktoria, me, a few Machinists and some soldiers exited the aircraft, and I went to my room, as I was very exhausted. My rooms always had a certain messiness to them, while all of the other rooms were kept neat and tidy. I always told the servants to not clean anything in my room, as I would pick it up myself. So everything is disorganized, my sheets are almost never made, and i have clothes lying on the floor. I consider it my own little rebellion against Viktoria. The sheets were warm and inviting, and I fell asleep almost immediately. But my dream was disturbing. We were at war, but I don't know who we were warring with. I was there on the battlefield, holding a dead soldier in my arms. Power suits, armored mechs and tanks, war planes, and people clad in...some kind of shiny material passed us by. The shiny people had one red eye that glowed, and they moved too fast to be humans. One of the enemy planes flew by, and I was able to see a spray-painted symbol on its side. A giant black tiger with a snarling face. I woke up, the sheets entangling me and sweat dripping from my forehead. I checked the time and saw that it was 10 A.M. I had slept for 11 hours! I was late for my meeting with my Machinists! I was about to get dressed when I saw a note on my desk. It was written in Cyrillic, but I recognized the dainty handwriting of Viktoria and began reading. "Dante. I understand that yesterday might have been rough for you, and I know you were exhausted from your flight into the city. So I am allowing you to take the day off. I will attend the meeting in your place. Sincerely, the Matriarch." I had to check to see if it was real by comparing it to other notes Viktoria had written. The handwriting matched. A whole day to myself! There was so much I wanted to do. But I decided to start small by visiting Kreschatyk Street, also known as the Market district. It was refreshing to be dressed in normal clothes. A grey button-up, light blue denim jeans, hiking boots, and a black down jacket that accented my blue eyes, not that they weren't already striking. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I looked normal. Like an everyday citizen. I gave up on trying to comb my short black hair, as it always stuck up in the front, away from my face. I had left the Hub and the soldiers paid me no mind. They knew I was trying to have a day off and be a normal citizen for once, so they immediately averted their eyes as I walked by. Even though it was currently spring in Ukraine, a light snow still covered the ground, and I could see my breath in the cold air. The warm morning sun felt amazing on my face, and I found myself smiling. Kreschatyk Street was only a couple blocks from from the Government district, and I enjoyed the walk. Even in the morning, the plaza was bustling with activity. Though some people were poor, no one was ever homeless. People made at least enough to survive and buy food, and the Market district was the place to be. I had enough money to buy some breakfast, so I looked for a bakery or a diner. One caught my eye. It was a small two-story building on the corner of the sidewalk, and it had warm lights and a weathered sign that was charming in a way. It read "The Sweet Corner" in curly writing. And underneath it was "Coffee and Tea Sold Here!" It seemed like a good choice, so I went to the door. A few people were sitting at tables, talking with cups of coffee or reading the paper while eating pastries. The door chimed with a bell when I opened it. It was warm and inviting inside the bakery, and the scents of apples and cinnamon wafted through the building. At the counter was a display case that showed off many delectable treats. Tarts, cinnamon rolls, scones, slices of pie, and other sweet pastries. But one thing caught my eye. They looked like little pockets of bread, and i at once knew what they were. "Found something you like?", a soft accented voice said. I looked up and I saw a woman standing behind the counter. My breath caught in my throat. She was wearing a white apron over a white t-shirt and dark blue jeans. She looked young, mid-20s perhaps. I would say she looked slightly plump, in a healthy way. She was short, only to about my collarbone, but that only accentuated her small curves. Her skin was pale, but not in a sickly or malnourished way, and I saw that her hands were covered in flour. Her hair fell in dark brown curls to her back, and her smile was genuine and cute. But what startled me most was her eyes. They were **violet**. The deepest shade of violet I had ever seen. "Um, _cep_?", she said. And then I noticed the slightly confused look on her face. "Oh! I'm sorry, miss. I was daydreaming for a bit." I scolded myself for saying something stupid, but the woman smiled again, and said "I do that sometimes too". Her accent was definitely Ukrainian and she looked native as well. "Well, have you found something you like?" I pointed to the little bread pockets. "What are these, Miss...uh..." "Nadia. And those are pierogi. There is custard, raspberry cream cheese, and chocolate filled pierogi." My mouth instantly watered. Pierogi was my absolute _favorite_ food. “I’ll take five custard pierogi, one raspberry tart, and a cup of coffee.” “Coming right up!” She put the treats into a bag and fixed a hot cup of coffee in a travel cup. “Will that be all?” “Yes, ma’am.” She put the amount on the cash register and it dinged. “That will be $15.70.” I fished the proper amount of cash out of my wallet and handed it to Nadia. “And your change is-” “No change. Keep it.” She looked up at me, surprised. “Um...alright then.” Her face flushed with pink. It was adorable. “Have a nice day!”, she said cheerfully. I walked back out into the brisk afternoon. And as I was walking back to the Hub, I popped one of the custard filled pierogis into my mouth. It was so sweet and warm that I actually teared up a little. The coffee was so hot and strong, and it warmed up my hands as I held it. I had felt happier than I have in months. And I knew that I would be seeing Nadia much more in the future.

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been wanting to write something like this for a long time, and I’m so excited!  
This is still in the works, so I’m just testing the idea for now.


End file.
